For many brides, flowers can be the trickiest part of your day. A critical decor element, flowers can seem like the one variable you can not control. Every worry from as big as what if it’s a bad growing season to the smallest detail (what if I order cobalt blue and I end up with indigo?!) Flowers add so much depth, so much texture, so much ambiance to a room – flowers are with you from the minute you start your walk down the aisle until you toss your bouquet and drive off into the sunset.
Such a critical variable means finding a vendor that is knowledgeable, honest, reliable and open. A great florist will help advise you on how to achieve your vision – not bowl you over with how they think your centre pieces or bouquets should look! We a had a chance to catch up with Sarah Mayerson of Sarah Mayerson Design, one of Calgary’s busiest floral designers. Sarah is multi-talented, as a certified event planner and Dutch trained florist, her guidance and advice in creating perfect florals for your day will come from an understanding of the need for every detail.
We got to pick Sarah’s brain about upcoming trends, details brides should think about, what being Dutch certified means and how best to prepare when meeting your florist for the first time, !
Photo Credit: As I See it Photography
1. What is the “hot” colour for spring/summer 2012 weddings? For 2012 weddings, I’m finding a lot of couples are going with neutral palettes of white, ivory, creams, champagne, and soft grey tones and adding in touches of colors like soft peach, midnight blue, and pear green tones. This plays off the vintage and eclectic trends really nicely. I am also seeing a lot of metallic and jewel tones with amethyst purple as a consistently popular color carried through the last two years.
Photo Credit: As I See it Photography
2. Is there a flower that has grown substantially in popularity in the last few years? Garden roses have become really popular over the last year, and luckily they are becoming more readily available through growers in South America and Holland. They make great additions to bouquets and arrangements for vintage or garden style weddings and come in a number of pretty colors. They are also a perfect substitute bloom for peonies which have a very short growing season but are on the wish lists of many brides.
Photo Credit: Chantal Milaine Photography
3. What should brides think of for a versatile flower that is sometimes overlooked? Carnations have had a bad rap for a very long time and most brides have an aversion to them without understanding how awesome they are! They come in a variety of vibrant and modern colors, are extremely cost effective, have great texture, and are very long lasting. When used in mixed arrangements or bouquets, most people don’t even know they are there.
Photo Credit: Photobolic
4. What are some unique non-floral pieces that you like to use to compliment arrangements? I love using non-floral elements to really personalize wedding flowers. To enhance natural and rustic bouquets I like to use ostrich and pheasant feathers, lotus and poppy pods, curly willow and birch pieces, and live plants like succulents or herbs. For the more vintage style weddings I like to use antique brooches, pearl strands, buttons, and pieces of lace and fabrics nestled amongst the blooms.
Photo Credit: 6:8 Photography
5. What should brides come prepared with when they meet for a first consultation? For a floral consultation it is always helpful to bring along any photos you have found of bouquets and floral arrangements that you either love or hate – this gives me a really good idea of your style. Other helpful items include images of your dress and bridesmaid dresses, fabric swatches or color chips, a sample of your invitation etc. All of these things will give an idea of the look and feel you are trying to achieve for your big day, and will help me to suggest flowers and vases to compliment all of your selections.
Photo Credit: Photobolic
6. You are trained in Dutch floral design – what does that mean? In 2006, I studied at Boerma Instituut which is an international floral design school in Aalsmeer, Holland. I graduated with my Masters Diploma in Dutch Floral Design. This type of floral design is very focused on specific technique, and there is also a large focus placed on flower knowledge and color theory. With it being an international school it was also very beneficial and inspiring to learn from my classmates who came from countries such as Japan, Nigeria, Indonesia, and all throughout Europe.
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